THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I CAME TO EUROPE

Things I wish I knew…

Is not a mystery that I am from Venezuela, and for some of you who have been reading the blog for while this is old news. In any case today blog is about the things I wish I knew before I came for the first time to Europe to live, you see, for us Venezuelan, and maybe I can even include my Latin-Americans friends, it’s hard to emigrate to another place, another language, food, and culture.

We Venezuelan are extremely friendly and open, to give you an example we know all the people who live in our building, we know where they work, to which school their kids go… we simply know the most important things about our neighbors. We feel so comfortable about them that we ask for sugar, milk or flour if we just didn’t have enough.

Believe or not we are so spontaneous, that we need just 5 min to plan a trip to the beach… we just make some calls, grab our things jump into the car and drive down to the beach with 7 friends in a car was made just for 5.

We never need an invitation; if we are in the nearest street of our friends we just ring the bell and come in, drink something and probably will stay for dinner.

This is exactly who we are, maybe is the weather maybe it isn’t, the fact is that Venezuela in the 7 countries more happy of the entire planet, which make us the happiest people despite out political situation.

That being said, I want to open up, about how was my process when I moved to Europe… It was truly not easy and wish I knew a lot of stuff before I came, don’t take me wrong, I don’t regret it, although it was hard, really hard the change.

Coming to a German speaking country for sure I wish I had the opportunity to learn German before I came, that would make a big change… in any case I didn’t know a word of German, so I went directly to my German curse.., which actually to be 100% didn’t help too much, what it help was the special German curse I did at the University of Vienna.

the second thing and probably most important is to be organized, when I first came to Vienna, I didn’t have a plan, I had to figure out here what the hell I suppose to do with my life, and that’s was a big struggle for me…, you see I already had finished my bachelor back in Venezuela, and it was not in my plan to study again, but that was something I decide here, instead of back in my country. If I would make that decision in Venezuela I would probably save 2 years, and would organize everything back then I came to Europe with the big plan.

Cultures are totally different, and you cannot expect they adapt to you… and something that I learned over the time is to embrace the difference between the cultures, without leaving behind yours. Consequently, since I am in Vienna I have learned to make appointments with my friends and not just show up unannounced…

Loneliness is part of the deal, you will have to overcome the fact you will have to make new friends, and that’s is going to take time, Austrian, Germans, etc. Are not that open like we are, and they need time to open up but once you reach their heart, you will have a friend forever.

Everything will depend on you and just you alone if you don’t put effort nobody will help you reach your goals, dreams etc. Back in Venezuela you always knew someone who knew someone who can give a hand with whenever you need, here is not like that… Here you will have to do everything but yourself absolutely everything

Never lose your positivisms, even in the cold winter which I am still trying to adapt after almost 8 years, even to the unfriendly people you are going to find your way, and, believe me, you will, never lose that essence that make you who you are, stay positive… Happiness is a life choice you decide whether to be happy or miserable.

Over the years when I look back I wish I could be more positive in certain situations, but sometimes you can’t and that’s ok, the difficulty we live today is what I make us a stronger person tomorrow.